In Troubled Times
by SwanQueenAddict
Summary: Hermione tells the one she loves how she feels before she runs out of chances.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own the characters, but if I did, a lot wouldn't have died :(

**A/N:** I've changed it a bit, going to try the whole story from Hermione's point of view. M rating for possible future ideas in later chapters. Please R&R…

**Chapter 1**

Just minutes before Hogwarts was to be invaded by the Dark Lord and his followers, the castle was sent into panic. The students frantically ran in different directions; down corridors, up the stairs. I followed Ron through the crowd of students as we headed to The Chamber of Secrets. I skidded to a halt near The Entrance to the castle; tilting my head to the left I heard a familiar voice. "_Piertotum Locomotor_" Minerva shouted the spell.

Like everyone else, I was petrified of The Dark Lord advancing on the castle and the fear we might not make it to dawn. Though, one thing I was certain of was my feelings for a certain Professor. This, however, did not mean I didn't care deeply for Ron. My feelings for Minerva were something different than what I felt for Ron. I couldn't tell anyone for what they might think of me, not even Harry. On many occasions I had dreamed of telling Minerva about how I felt but never had the courage during school. However, knowing this was the end, or there abouts, I had nothing left to lose and I would regret it if I never had the chance to tell Minerva how I really feel.

"Hogwarts is threatened. Man the boundaries. Protect us. Do your duty to our school!" Minerva ordered as the stone soldiers marched towards the front of the castle. "I've always wanted to use that spell," I heard Minerva chuckled.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up," I said to Ron. Puzzled, he shrugged and hurried away. Minerva's heart began to pound loudly against her chest, watching me walk closer. I grabbed Minerva's wrist and dragged her into the shadows. My lips brushed against hers and lingered for a moment. I moved my head back and stared at Professor McGonagall in the dark. Minerva's beauty radiated even in the darkness. Leaning closer, I kissed her again. I waited to feel any protest against my action, feeling none I kissed Minerva's lips more fiercely and passionately. We pulled apart gasping for air. Minerva took a hold of my hand and pulled it to her heart.

"You have always belonged here, and will forever. It is yours and no one else's," Minerva croaked, a lump forming in her throat.

"I know," I smiled faintly. Minerva stroked my cheek and it tingled long after she had removed her hand. "I love you, Min," I whispered in the older witch's ear. My lips were close to Minerva's ear, she could feel my breath on her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Find me after the battle," Minerva said, smiling at me. With a quick peck on the cheek, I nodded and rushed off to the second-floor girls' lavatory.

/ x-x-x /

**A/N:** Just a little idea that I thought of watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Though it wouldn't leave me alone and begged to be written. Hope you enjoyed reading it… I know you want to hit the button down the bottom that says _review_.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** The second half of this chapter is set around 2002/2003. Please R&R…

**/ x-x-x /**

Ron took my hand as we walked back to The Great Hall in search of Harry. Lost in my thoughts, I walked beside Ron as he guided us back to the Great Hall. _'Be realistic Hermione,'_ I growled at myself as I saw images of Minerva creep into my mind. _'It would never work; she is twice my age, someone who has guided me through my education. So why Merlin did I have to fall in love with her?'_ I sighed, and hoped Ron didn't hear me. Looking across and from his blank expression, I assumed he hadn't. _'I need someone who can provide a future for me. A home, a family…'_ I paused, feeling my heart been torn in two. I realised I had to do this for her own sake. I had to break her heart before she could believe any false hope of us ever being together.

Ron tugged me back and I blinked several times, taking in my surroundings. I then realised we had reached The Great Hall, _'well, what was left of it,'_ I thought, scanning the room. Harry stood in front of us, grinning away like a kid on Christmas morn. I stared past him, seeing Minerva at the other end of the room. Her face lit up and began walking towards me. She suddenly stopped, _'obviously she noticed Ron holding my hand,'_ I thought, biting my lip as I looked down at our entwined hands. Minerva's face fell and she stumbled on her feet. Harry slowly walked to us and out of the castle. Ron soon followed and I let my hand slip out of his. I wanted to run up to Minerva, tell her it was all a lie and my heart truly belonged to her. Tears stung the back of my eyes, taking a breath I forbid them to roll down my cheek. I knew this was for the best and the only way she could move on with her life. Taking another deep breath, I tried to calm my pounding heart; I turned slowly and followed Harry and Ron.

**x - x - x**

I flew down the motorway, driving faster and faster to nowhere in particular. Anger rose inside me, like lava erupting from a volcano. Never before had I been this angry at Ronald.

We had been going out since the end of the battle at Hogwarts. We bought a little townhouse on the outskirts of London. Suddenly I heard my ringtone, 'Perfect Day by Lady Antebellum', buzz. I glanced down and saw _Ronald _flash up on the screen.

"No way," I grumbled, letting it ring out and eventually go to voicemail. I was quite surprised how he was adapting to Muggle technology. Last year I bought him his very own laptop. He loves that laptop, especially given he can email Harry as often as he likes. I sometimes wondered if he loves that piece of technology more than me. I took my eyes off the road for a split second as I pushed the radio on. I let the music wash over me as I aimlessly drove along the road.

Suddenly I felt as if an invisible string had pulled on my heart. _'Maybe I should call ahead?'_ I thought. Then realised she would either ignore me or be angry and then I wondered if she even had a phone at all.

"Well… it's going to be one exciting afternoon after all," I mumbled, taking the next exit off the motorway. I t had been years since I last saw Minerva, but Ron's words kept playing back in my mind and I needed to escape. I knew it would be unfair on Harry as he would feel torn between his two best friends. I don't know why I thought of Minerva, maybe, no, I knew my heart still felt something for her and I needed to explain why I never came back.

Driving along suburbia roads, I began to wonder if she would be at her home at all. After all it wasn't school holidays yet, dismissing the thought I needed to see her. It felt like the road seemed to go on forever with no end in sight. I figured I must've been driving into the countryside as houses only could be seen every ten miles or so. The quality of road seemed to change from tar to dirt. I slowed down, as the wheels bounced a little on the loose road. I pulled the car over to the side of the road. Staring out the window, I gazed at the breath-taking views: rolling green hills and everlasting paddocks. Gathering myself, I looked over my shoulder and merged back onto the road.

Three quarters of an hour later, I vaguely had an idea of where I was going. Turning down the narrow lane, it ended seeing a quiet little cottage. My heart began to pound loudly against my chest; I feared if anyone else was around, I was certain they would've heard it beating. _'I could have called this home,'_ I sighed as I turned off the engine. _'No,'_ a soft voice called in my mind. _'You had to give Ron a chance,'_ the voice continued. "Except now I have known what I should've done…" I paused, thinking back to the argument between Ronald and I. Never in all the years we been together had we had such a fight like that.

From the things Ronald shouted at me, I never wanted to see him again. I wanted to collapse into the arms of the one person I knew would still love me and forever will. Taking a breath, I pushed open the car door and got out. I stood on the front porch and knocked on the door. Taking a step back, I looked around the property while waiting for an answer. Several minutes later, the door swung open and I smiled faintly. Minerva leaned heavily on the walking stick, more strands of grey filled her hair and her face was defined with wrinkles. _'Though she still looks beautiful to me,'_ I thought once again smiling faintly.

"Hermione?" a whispered escaped her lips. I saw hurt in her eyes which immediately turned to anger. For several minutes neither one of us said a word. "What do you want?" Minerva asked coldly. Tears stung my eyes, _'How could she hold onto a grudge for so long?'_ I questioned, staring at her. _'Because you kissed her, told her you loved her and promised to be with her after the battle at Hogwarts. Yet you choose someone else over her,'_ that annoying voice said. But I knew it spoke the truth. A sigh left my lips and I spun around back to the car. Secretly I hoped Minerva would follow me so I walked extra slow. Reaching the drivers' side and not hearing Minerva behind me, the tears streamed down my cheeks. Just as I opened the door to drive away, I felt someone breathing on the back of my neck. Slowly turning around I saw Minerva standing there.

"Oh, Minerva…" I cried, burying my face in her chest. "I'm so sorry," I sobbed into her blouse.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

My sobs quietened down and the tears had dried up. I lifted my head to study Minerva's face, curious as to what she might be thinking. Once again I heard my phone ring.

"What… what is that?" Minerva asked, staring at me. I pulled mu phone from my bag. Sighing, I saw _Ronald_ flash up on my screen.

"Oh will you leave me alone!" I growled under my breath, stuffing my phone into my pocket.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Minerva asked, placing her hands on my shoulders. I looked up at Minerva in surprise. I expect her to yell at me or tell me to get off her property and here she was being nice to me. Then it dawned on me, _'She still loves me, even after everything I put her through'_ I realised as my mouth fell open. "Hermione?" Minerva asked again. I looked up at her as she waited for my answer.

"No," I mumbled, shaking my head. _'I've made a mess of everything,'_ I groaned, beginning to cry again. Wrapping her around me, Minerva guided me into her house.

Down the hall from the entrance led to a large living area. The walls were covered with bookshelves, a large fire place was in front of the sitting area; couch's, arm chair and coffee table. Not a few metres away from where I stood was a closed door. _'A study,_' I guessed _'with another fire place, a smaller one, for the flu network,'_ I thought. There was a dining table in the corner of the room with the kitchen next to that. On the opposite side of the room, from where we stood, was a small hallway possibly leading to the downstairs bathroom and laundry. A spiral staircase was next to the hall, _'Spare bedrooms and Minerva's room,'_ I guessed.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Minerva offered as she moved over the kitchen.

"No, thank you," I smiled even though my throat was as dry as a desert. I quickly followed Minerva into the kitchen. "I can do this. You go sit down," I smiled. Minerva handed over the mug and went to sit down at the table. My heart pounded against my chest as I made Minerva her tea. As I waited for the kettle to boil, I mentally prepared what I was going to tell Minerva. Minutes later I walked over to the table with a mug in my hand. I placed it down in front of Minerva and sat down next to her. "We need to talk," I said, looking at Minerva. She barely looked up as she nodded her head. "I guess I owe you an explanation…"

"Owe me! You _owe_ me a lot more than an _explanation_ and it better be good, Miss Granger!" Minerva cried, glaring at me. I stared at Minerva in shock at her sudden outburst. "How dare you come here and pretend everything between us is ok," Minerva growled. "You _left_ me hurting for years! You never came to visit me, you promised me you'd find me and…" Minerva choked, wiping away the tears forming in her eyes. "After the battle… who do I find you with? Mr. Weasley…" she roared. "You promised," Minerva whispered.

"I…I thought it was for the best," I muttered, looking down at my hands.

"You thought it was for the best…" Minerva repeated, making me look up at her. "You told me you loved me. Was that a lie? Did you enjoy breaking an old witch's heart?" Minerva acussed, jumping to her feet.

"I…" I choked, feeling a lump form in my throat.

"I would've given you everything Mr. Weasley could have," Minerva paused, turning away from me. "I would've given you the world" she added quietly.

"Not everything," I muttered under my breath. I threw my hands over my mouth and instantly regretted saying it.

"Is that why you didn't chose me in the end? You wanted a family?" Minerva cried, turning back around and stared at me intently. "Well, do you?" Minerva questioned.

"No," I muttered, shaking my head. _'Of course I wanted to be a mother. Everybody does. But I couldn't tell Minerva that. She would only think I am here to take pity on here which I am not,' _I thought, avoiding looking at her.

"So what was the point of choosing Mr. Weasley over me?" Minerva snapped.

"Minerva, I…" I stopped, staring at the hurt in her eyes. Sighing, I got to my feet and stood in front of her. "I love you!" I said strongly. "I never stopped loving you. I thought I was doing the right thing all those years ago but now I know I was mistaken. Over the past six months Ronald and I have been fighting more. After this last fight, I _hate_ him. I never want to see him again," I explained.

"Is that why you came here? To escape…" Minerva asked softly.

"Yes," I nodded. "And I _wanted_ to see _you_!" I added. "I guess it's a good thing Ronald and I didn't have any kids, o custody battles," I chuckled, wanting to lighten the atmosphere. Minerva smiled faintly as she leaned in close to kiss me. Hanging my head on Minerva's shoulder; I pulled my phone from my pocket, hearing it ring. I looked at the screen and saw Ron was trying to call….again. "There…" I paused, holding down the power button. "No more distractions," I said, smiling up at Minerva. Once again she moved her head closer to mine and our lips met. _'It is a lot gentler than Ron's kissing,'_ I thought happily as my hands moved around Minerva. All Ronald wanted to do was kiss once, have sex and then go to sleep. As we stood in each other's embrace, I wondered what it would be like to take Minerva to bed, fall asleep in her arms afterwards.

"Where… where are you going?" Minerva asked, panicking as I pulled away from her.

"To prove to you that it is _you_ I want to be with," I smiled faintly as I moved back to the table to grab my bag.

"You are doing that by just being here, dear," Minerva smiled, stroking my cheek.

"I need to go back to Ronald," I said and noticed Minerva glaring at me. "To tell him we are over," I laughed, seeing Minerva relax her stance.

"You will come back, though, right?" Minerva queried.

"Mostly definitely!" I nodded. "I love you, remember," I smiled, giving her a peck on her cheek. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the worst, hurricane Ronald. Though I had to be honest with him, it isn't fair on him if there is no love in return.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

An hour later, I parked the car in the street outside the house. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my pounding heart, I swung the car door open and got out. I slowly walked to the front door and slid inside. I ignored the daggers Ron was giving me and quickly disappeared upstairs. Grabbing my enchanted, it's-bigger-on-the-inside-bag, I quickly packed a few items, the most essential, before heading back downstairs. I gathered all the courage I was supposed to have as a Gryffindor, the thought of Minerva pushing me onwards as I stepped down that last step and into the living room where Ron was sitting, reading the paper.

"Where have you been?" he asked calmly.

"Out," I said.

"You didn't answer any of my calls," Ron said, frowning as he put down the paper down.

"Do you really expect me to take your calls after our fight?" I snapped, turning away.

"I _expect_ you to… given we are in a relationship," Ron growled.

"Relationship? Is that what you call _this_?" I queried.

"You are cheating on me, aren't you?" Ron said, narrowing his eyes on me. I snapped my head towards him, and my mouth fell open.

"What? No!" I yelled. "And like I tried to tell you earlier today, I am not cheating. Though we need to talk," I muttered. I knew that was probably setting off alarm bells in his head. The words _'we need to talk,'_ only ever meant bad things to guys.

"What about? Everything is fine," Ron stated.

"Everything is _not_ fine. I can't pretend to be happy in a relationship when I'm not," I tried to explain.

"Maybe you just need to try a little harder," Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Try a little harder?" I repeated. "I've given this my fucking best, but it just isn't working," I retorted.

"You _are_ cheating on me," he murmured.

"I am not," I stressed, then sighed.

"Liar! Why else would you be doing this?" Ron argued. It felt like a switch inside me had been flicked on, and I went into defensive mode.

"We don't have sex anymore, you never kiss me when I get home after work, you never ask me how my day was, and you never tell me you love me. I'm ending whatever _this_ is because you have given up. You've brought this upon yourself!" I screamed as tears pricked the backs of my eyes, knowing this was the end of something that was once great. As Ron silently stood there, I knew this was over. He didn't have anything left to fight for our relationship. I took one last look back at Ron through teary eyes, _pop_, everything went black, and I felt sick to my stomach. Suddenly my vision came back into focus, and I found myself standing at Minerva's door. Away from Ronald, I let the tears stream down my face. Minutes later, the door swung open and the one person I admired more than life stood in front of me.

"What are you doing out here?" Minerva asked, staring at me. I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out. I rushed forward and hugged her tightly. I felt Minerva hesitate before hugging me back, but once she did I clung on for dear life. She ushered me inside and ordered me to sit down. I choose the arm chair by the window and watched as Minerva silently made me a cup of tea. Once it was ready, she moved across the room and handed me the mug. I smiled my thanks and stared out the window into the distance, and let my mind wander back to our most recent fight. Several words kept floating around in my mind. _'Cheater, Liar, fight for us … Love. That was the crux of the situation - or maybe, the lack thereof from both sides whether he realized it as well or not.' _

I wasn't aware of how long I had been sitting in the chair, staring into space. Looking across I saw Minerva had fallen asleep on the couch. I got up from the chair and softly treaded across the room. Smiling down at her, I took the book that lay across her stomach and placed it down on the coffee table. Careful not to wake Minerva, I straddled her hips and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'm yours now." Minerva opened an eye, smiling at me, and ran her fingertips over my cheek. _'Minerva still doesn't trust me,' _I thought, seeing her hesitant to kiss me. Sighing, I put both of my hands beside her head. Moving closer our lips met in a soft, gentle kiss. Suddenly Minerva moved to sit up on the couch. Her lips crashed down more passionately against mine as she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close. My hands hastily tried to unbutton my blouse as our snogging session became more intense. I felt Minerva's hands over mine, and she held them still. Breaking off the kiss, I leaned back and stared at her.

"Isn't this going a little fast?" she asked, glancing down at the top few buttons undone.

"Fast? I've loved you since forever. It has taken too long for this moment to happen," I replied. Minerva stared at me, looking sceptical.

"I am not beautiful as you. I'm not as lean as you. My bones and joints ache after hours of walking. On bad days I have to use a walking stick. Things… _sag_," Minerva said, turning her face away from mine. Rising off the couch, I grabbed Minerva's hand and pulled her to her feet.

"I don't care… I don't care that you are twice my age, or that you were my Professor, or that your body wasn't what it used to be. I love you, and as a matter of fact, I think you're breathtakingly beautiful. As for not being lean, well perhaps a bed where I'll be able to spread you out on would help? Maybe we could test out your flexibility…" I grinned, staring at Minerva, waiting for an answer. A small smile appeared on Minerva's lips as she took my hands in hers, and lead me upstairs.

**x - x - x**

**A/N:** Beta work done by McGonagall's Bola.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay everyone, been feeling crap hence writing comes last especially when you don't feel like doing anything at all… (including writing) And more recently, I booked flights for my overseas trip! Yay, leaving in three days, eek I'm excited! Hence you may not see any updates from me for about 3 weeks…

**Chapter 5**

I followed Minerva up the stairs, leading to a narrow hallway. There were four different doors; the first two on the right were the guest bedroom with the bathroom right next to it. On the opposite side of the hall was another door. Minerva told me that was a smaller study, where she does most of her marking from home, which is also connected to the Flu Network. At the end of the hallway was the last door, Minerva's bedroom I guessed. Minerva looked over her shoulder at me and smiled, we reached the door and she pushed it open. My heart began to pound against my chest, I couldn't believe what I have wanted for a while was about to happen. Her bedroom was larger than I expected, a huge king side bed lay in the middle of the room. A wardrobe stood on the opposite wall to the foot of the bed, and a wall length mirror hung beside it. An arm chair was in the corner of the room, and to the right of the bed was another door, leading to the en suite I assumed.

"You can put your stuff down there," Minerva said, pointing to the arm chair. I nodded and moved across the room. I started to unpack the contents of my bag, which hung around my shoulder. I neatly folded my clothes and placed them on chair. I hung my coat over the back of the chair and my wash bag on top of my clothes. My laptop and cords next to the arm chair and on the other side a stack of books. "Just how long are you planning on staying?" Minerva questioned. I felt my cheeks burn as I spun around, I found Minerva sitting on her bed.

"I thought…" I muttered, pausing.

"I was kidding," Minerva said quietly with a smile. She patted the space next to her and watched as I walked across the room. "You can stay as long as you like," she added, taking my hands in hers. I smiled back at her and stared into her emerald eyes. A feeling began to grow inside, something I had supressed for a long time. I wanted, no _needed_, to touch Minerva. I inched closer and withdrew my hands from Minerva's grasp. I took my wand from my jean's pocket and held it in the air. I muttered a spell that had our clothes in a neat pile on the floor. I look down at Minerva's naked form, and then crawled up the bed. I rest on her but careful not to put weight on her fragile body.

"You are beautiful," I whispered close to her ear. I kissed her neck as I felt her hands on my back. I kissed her neck again and then my lips moved lower, placing soft delicate kisses all the way down to her pleasure spot. My hands travelled up and down her sides as I kissed her inner thighs.

"Hermione…" I heard Minerva whisper my name. Lifting my head, my lips curled into a smile seeing the plea in her eyes. I spread Minerva's legs wide and buried my face in her. Licking the length of her pussy, I came to her clit and flicked it lightly. I heard a groan escape Minerva's lips and I moved back down her opening. On my way back to her clit, this time I began to suckle and pay homage to it. I slid a finger into her dark wet cavern, and began at a steady pace moving it in and out. Minerva's breathing increased as I slipped another finger inside. With my other free hand, it continued to stroke her thigh. I could feel Minerva's juices coat my fingers and so I moved them even faster, slightly lifting my head I was curious to see her reaction. She had shut her eyes tightly as she arched her chest up in pleasure. A grin crept back on my lips, my left hand left her thigh and moved too her secret spot. My middle finger pinched, flicked, rubbed and pushed hard. Feeling Minerva's wall clamp around my finger, I slowed the pace but picked it up with my other hand. I knew Minerva was close; her chest was so high it looked like she was about to sit up or something. I could feel her body convulse underneath me and I had to resist the temptation of crawling up and listening to her moans and groans close to my ear. Once Minerva had reached orgasm ecstasy, I wriggled my way up and kissed her lips. Minerva opened an eye and smiled at me. I smiled back seeing how exhausted she looked. Minerva took me by surprise as she flipped me over and towered over me.

"What about yourself?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can we just lie for a minute?" I asked, pulling her down to the space beside me.

"Maybe in a little while?" Minerva asked, waiting for an answer.

"Maybe," I answered, looking over at her. "What is it?" I queried, noticing the frown on her face.

"Don't you want the same…" she paused, pushing a lock of hair from my eyes, "treatment?" she added quietly.

"I do," I admitted, nodding. "But I want to saver this moment forever," I continued and planted a kiss on her head.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I rolled over onto my side feeling the sun on my cheeks. I lifted my head and saw that the room was empty. Frowning, I sat up and quickly found my clothes before heading down the stairs. I found Minerva outside, sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea and reading The Daily Prophet.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Minerva greeted, flashing me a grin.

"Hi," I replied back with a yawn.

"Sleep ok?" she asked, glancing up from the paper.

"The best, actually in a while," I explained, noticing how relaxed I felt. Minerva smiled across at me and I felt content than I had in a _long_ time. I could quite happily spend the rest of my life here, sipping tea with Minerva reading the paper near me.

"Hermione?" Minerva called softly.

"Yes?" I replied, looking across at her.

"Is everything alright, dear?" she questioned.

"Mhmm," I grinned and looked back out at the garden. "I could live here quite comfortably," I thought aloud.

"You can, you know," Minerva said, making me look across at her. "Like I said last night," she paused placing down her cup, "You can stay as long as you want. Though I would like it if you stayed forever," Minerva continued quietly.

"Then forever it is," I beamed and reached the table to grab her hand. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too, Hermione," Minerva added, lifting my hand and kissed the back of it.

**/-x-x-x-/**

**A/N:** Crappy ending I know, but I didn't want it to be yet another story in the not finished and abandoned list :(


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